Erythema Nodosum is back-

Personal Woman Related info Below... If you don't want to know details about Menses and health related issues then don't read !

It has been 9 months since my last outbreak. I am heart broken to have them back. I thought it had finally gone away. I have been living with this since I was about 11 or 12. So almost 13 years. This is the only break I have ever had. For 9 months I thought it had finally went away. You know to get into details it is going to be a little personal but I am going to. I would like someone to come across this one day and maybe be able to tell me what is causing it or maybe that someone else has the same exact occurrence. So here goes.

I got my first MC when I was 11 or 12. Right after that I started having EN outbreaks. I never really put one and two together until the last couple years. I have never had a regular menstrual cycle. Not since I began and not now.. seriously not ever. My MC runs about every 3 months. Meaning sometimes its a month sometimes a month in a half but most of the time three months or more. I don't mind that. I never have. I would throw my uterus away and get rid of the whole thing if I did not want to have kids one day. lol . anyways. When I get my MC once a month the EN doesn't show up but if it is more then a month it starts. I was on birth control for a while about 5 years ago. Went off of them and the got back on them right before my husband came back from Iraq. About 3 years ago. I was on Sesanal. So every three months I was supposed to have a cycle. But it didn't always happen that way and I kept the EN for practically the whole time I was on the BC. Not mentioning the fact that when I was on the BC I bled for over a month straight. They did and ultra sound and found nothing. I decided to go off my BC for moral & ethical reasons. Because the hormones come from horses. Anyways. I kept the EN for a while after that but slowly it went away. But every month and a half it would come back when I missed my MC. That happened till last year. The last EN out break I had was in July- Aug. Then it went away. My MC became normal once a month & less painful. Now I am about 3 weeks late for my MC and no I am not prego I have already tested to make sure. It kinda makes me wonder if I will be able to have a baby one day. Anyways I started getting sore spots on my legs last week sometime and today My first visible bump started showing on my right leg. So I almost know It has something to do with my hormones. I have been to the DR. a few times. Every time they tell me something different and almost never do anything to help. So what do I do if the DR.s are no help? I am so tired of this!

FLOCK- WEB BROWSER

I don't know how many of you have found this. Probably alot. I am probably the last person to find it. don't know. I have had it since I finally got my DSL and I really like it. I down loaded it from Treehugger.com I think. but it does all kinds of stuff and supports a lot of different programs for bloggers, pictures, media... the list goes on and on. It has news feeds. And all kinds of stuff. So I just wrote to say try it out. Its nice Alot of information on greening up your life!!!

Bird flu in Seoul- Copy and past below...

Bird Flue in Seoul Article click here
I have read articles in the past about the bird slaughters do to Bird flu. I haven't seen any in a while and was wondering what was going on with the epidemic. It is shameful to see these atrocities happen to living beings. After all it is due to human interference and confinement of millions of animals for food. I guess what I am getting at is I don't see how people can decide well if we kill all of the Chickens, Turkeys, etc here it will solve the problem. Because by the time the problem has been spotted it has been spread to other places and it is all due to selfishness. Humans are helping the spread of so many diseases by mass farming. Ignorance? Maybe I'm not sure. But when the information is there. Can you still call it that? Or does it become stupidity? How can people decide to live this way when their children will have to grow up in the world they are creating? I would hate to see the world be over taken with a "plaque" that was caused by selfish stupidity. Any disease at all is horrible. ok I think I am done with my rant for now...

There is a difference in PLUMBING- HAHA

We found this painted on a plumbers garage in Pittsburgh. We were lost and just so happened turned in their driveway. Thats all...

Another Trip to Pittsburgh

Today was a very long day. I got 3 hours of sleep last night, we left at 8:20am and didn't make it back till 10:45 pm. So I am so tired. So I will tell u a little about our day. As if anyone actually cares. I will try not to make it to grueling. This morning I got up and baked the Cinnamon roles from They Joy of vegan baking and they turned out great. I think the temp or the time is off in the recipe though Because I made some last night and the rest this morning and both times they kinda burned a lil. But they still tasted great. (and yes I have an oven thermometer. So it was the right temp). Then we left after all the nit picking of finding odds and ends that we needed to take with us. We made it to "J" work to drop of some info (he is on vacation this week) and then he had to stop to have breakfast. So lets just say we didn't make it to our destination till lunch hour 12 noon... Traffic and more traffic. So after fighting through traffic we finally made it to the National Aviary. It was a learning experience. Its always nice to learn something new about animals. We had a good time/ Bird were flying all around us but we were lucky enough to get out with out one drop of bird poop. I'm really not much one for zoo's or things of the such so going here was a little out of the norm for me. They showed us some of the rehabilitated animals and told us about there breeding program that returns bird to the wild. It was an ok place. They need more space though. But isn't that the norm in situations like that unfortunately. Anyways next was Trader Joes and thats when the problem started. No i know from a couple of trips there now that we can't just go through the Pitt tunnel twice (once in once out) we have to make it a normal back and fourth every 10 minute journey. So needless to say we went through the tunnels alot more than necessary and not on purpose. After a bit of searching some trial and errors & 2 hours later we finally found Trader Joes. Did I mention we searched for The Learning Cathedral too. But I gave up. We seen it in the distance on the way to Trader Joes though. We didn't try to search it down. Trader Joes was nice. I purchased a couple things there: Agave nectar, Maple Syrup, Aloe Vera, Soy Mango Ice cream, Veggie Corn Dogs, Organic Frozen broccoli, Organic lemonade, Fig bars, Soyaci, Organic apple cider vinegar, & a huge artichoke, the list goes on. Then we left to go to whole foods knowing where it was. Not five minutes from Trader Joes but we got detoured by one way roads and such so it took us more like 20min. I purchased in bulk on some items here. Like Organic Katchup, Organic Long grain brown rice, & Organic all purpose flour. I also purchased, O-Mustard, Blue Corn ships, O- salsa, natural parchment paper, and the list goes on. Nothing to exciting. We had a nice time today but I don't think I will go back any time soon. Maybe not ever again unless I have too. I am not one for driving in the city. It is stressful! I think the money I wasted driving there would have made up for the money I saved on the products I bought. Plus some. So I think unless we get a Whole Foods and Traders Joes closer we are done traveling clear out of the way to get some of the products I can't find here. I will post pictures soon. I promise!

Sunny Blueberry- Corn Muffins -VwaV

These muffins (pg 50) are a really good morning snack ( makes 12 muffins). I love them with a little butter flavored spread. I have made them a couple times now and they have turned out great every time. Even though the 2nd time I forgot to put the blueberries in had to fold them in last minute. So it was over stirred.oops. o well. "J" loves anything that is kinda like corn bread. He crumbles them up and puts them in Soy Milk. I was sleeping this morning and he comes in and wakes me up just to tell me that they are really good with the buttery spread.... Like I haven't told him that a hundred times... (we use smart balance light which is vegan and has a yummy buttery flavor). So try theses. They are your favorite blueberry muffin but in a corn bread texture. Really yummy!

I am in the process of getting ready to go back to Pittsburgh, PA. really to stock up at the Whole foods store on things that I can't get around here. Yes it is sad that I have to drive around 2 hours probably a little more to get to my nearest Whole foods. But living in WV is pretty hard to find some ingredients. And anything organic at a reasonable price. For a small jar of Organic plain ground up peanuts its around 5 dollars here and its a very small jar. Plus you really can't find anything w/o corn syrup! I hate corn syrup of any form and try to stay away from it at all costs. Its just a horrible market here. We really need a whole foods!!!! I don't know how many times I have wrote and requested one. There are no Whole foods stores in WV. Does anyone know why. I wrote and asked but no one wrote me back so. They can use wind towers here (which are a couple hours the other direction from me) but they can't put one of their stores here! Don't get me wrong if I could I would live at a whole foods store. I love them. Its just kinda annoying that there isn't one closer then about 2 hours away. Ok I am done... Now I am going to go cook some yummy treats for the trip !! Any reason to try new recipes!!!

O yeah' I finally got my three new books I ordered. I got them Saturday. They are The Joy of Vegan Baking, Vive Le Vegan, & A to Z Organic Gardening... ! Well I am going to use the Cin Role recipe and a cookie recipe out of the Joy of Vegan baking and I'm going to make a couple pizzas to take with us so I better get going. I will post again later to show you the results. As long as I don't forget to take the pictures!!! Byebye For now everyone...

Corn Fritters - Vegan with a vengeance

Tonight I decided to try the Corn fritters recipe on page75 of Vegan with a Vengeance. They turned out really yummy. But full of grease. Def not a figure friendly recipe. I ate a couple. "J" really like them he ate all the rest. I made two batches so there was alot. Grease makes me sick so I did not really get to enjoy to much. I ate cereal instead. But thats ok. Yeah they may look a little ruff but they still tasted good.

Sun Burn 2008

Today I decided to help "J"start the remodel of our front porch and put up our fence for the dogs. Well I have never been a strappy kind of girl. This is the first year I have ever really wore a speg- strap shirt and so I really didn't think of the consequence of doing so... It was a nice breezy 65F degree day. And I really did not pay any attention. So now. I have started the spring.. not even the summer off with a very bad sun burn! I am so red that you can barely see my freckles! So everyone out there... Ware your sunscreen! lol.. Every year I get atleast one sun burn near the end of summer and I can't believe it is only May and I have killed my skin already.. Dumb Dumb Dumb..... lol

Vegan White Bean Gravy w. Vegan Biscuits- Vegan with a Vengeance

I started eating white beans a about a month ago mixed with my wheat pasta. To add some extra fiber to my daily diet. I started to think that they would probably make a nice gravy so one day I decided to try to make a white bean pepper gravy. I oped my Vegan with a Vengeance cook book for a new biscuit recipe to bake for the gravy and ran into a white bean gravy recipe. So I was very excited!!! I made the recipe. added some extra water and a lot of extra pepper. I love pepper in my gravy! It turned out awesome! I loved it. So this is just a blog to say if you haven't tried a white bean gravy do it! You won't be disappointed. In VwaV its on page 26-27. O yeah and I didn't add the tempeh. I have never had Tempeh to tell you the truth. I have some sitting in my freezer but have never tried it.
I also used the biscuit recipe from VwzV from page 26-27. They also turned out great.

I love to try everyones randishin of everyday recipes along w/ new recipes everyone comes up with!

Cali Roles

I have never made or ate them. But "J" needed something new for his lunch so I went ahead and made these. He loved them. I am making them again this week.
Recipe is listed below:

This makes alot!!!

4 Cups Packed Rice (I use brown but most people use white for suchi roles.)
1-1/2 pds Imitation Crab (make sure it is not the kind that is made out of fish!)
1/4 to 1/2 Cup Vegan nayonaise (how ever its spelled)
1-1/2 TB Organic Cane Sugar
1/8 ts Salt
3 Tb Rice Vinegar
Nori Sheets
Cucumber Slices
Dipping sauce of Choice
and a shusi mat if u have one. I don't I just use a paper towel.

COOK YOUR RICE WAY IN ADVANCE!
The rice needs to be completely cooled before you use it. Or stick it in the fridge for a while.
While you wait for the rice. Put the imitation crab in a food processor or blinder and mix very well. Till the I-Crab kinda sticks together on its own. Don't turn it into paste though. This will cut down on the nayonaise. So there is less Cal or Fat. Put the well blended I-crab in a boil and mix with the nayonaise.

In a separate bowl mix the Vinegar, sugar, & salt so it dissolves. Then mix it in with the room temp rice. Let the rise get sticky icky..

next you just role them like sushi roles. Dip your fingers in water and the rice will not stick to them.Make sure you role them tight or everything will fall out! Make sure you include your cucumber. I forgot one and "J" was sure to point it out. So it must add something. And wet your knife down ever couple that you cut or it will rip the nori! Good luck

He loved them. I never tried them. I hate the smell of fish. Faux or not. So there was noway they were going in my mouth. But like I said... I promise he loved them.